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Five Simple Ways To Improve Your Customer Service Strategy

Renato Libric is an entrepreneur, investor and founder/CEO at Bouxtie Inc. and FlexAwards.

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If we are being honest with ourselves, we have to admit, customer service isn’t always the most exciting aspect of running a business. Some interactions are wonderful: A customer may love what you are providing and have nothing but glowing reviews for you and your work. Who wouldn’t enjoy that? But some customers may not be so thrilled about their experience with your product and be vocal about their frustrations and concerns.

As much as we may want to turn away from this difficulty, the truth is, without these consumers, our businesses wouldn’t exist. Not to mention, handling customer service in the right way will only make your business or organization stronger. To help you achieve the ultimate customer experience, I have laid out a number of steps to take to appease your consumer, making their life (and yours) just a little bit easier.

Beat Them To The Punch

Be honest with yourself about the product you’re providing and the ease in which your customer can use or obtain it. Sure, you love what you have created and how you offer it, but could it be better? Ask friends or family for their thoughts and feedback. If you have the ability, hold a focus group to get real-time feedback. This knowledge could help you fix a glitch, make your checkout process easier or simplify the site altogether. Eliminating these pitfalls before a paying customer runs into them will be a big help for you in the long run.

Make Feedback Simple

As much as you wish you would, you’ll never have the perfect customer experience. Eventually, someone will run into an issue and you’re likely to hear about it. But as stated above, that’s not a bad thing: This feedback makes your business stronger. In fact, it’s fair to argue that more feedback is better. If you start hearing the same issue over and over again, know that where there is smoke, there is fire. Make it easy for your customers to give feedback by providing them with multiple options to reach out. Don’t limit all incoming feedback to one email address that may or may not be monitored regularly. Clearly list a phone number, social media contacts and email addresses. Again, make it simple: The last thing you want is someone who is trying to reach out to have a hard time doing so.

Create The Best Team

When your customers do reach out, you want to have the best people in place for them to talk to. Consider hiring a specific customer service team that can alleviate any unforeseen hiccups in your operation. Make sure these people are genuinely passionate about what it is you’re doing. If they care about the product, they will hear what these people have to say and understand how to find a solution. Once this team is in place, encourage them to actively listen to the customers. There’s nothing worse than thinking the person on the other end of the line isn’t hearing you.

Give Your Team Leverage

Allow your customer service team the flexibility to make decisions on your behalf when it comes to the customer. If you have certain policies in place regarding how you operate, always try to follow said policies, but understand that sometimes these rules sometimes need to be bent, if not broken. Give your team the power to make the call and do what it takes to satisfy the customer if the situation warrants bending those rules.

Host meetings with your staff to discuss the incidents in which these special circumstances occurred. This will not only allow you to understand what exactly is going on, but it will keep your team in check and make sure they are being responsible as to when they do choose to bend the rules.

Get Personal

Sometimes a little bit goes a long way: You may be the CEO of your company and have a team in place to handle customer relations, but it can sometimes be helpful for you to step in and personally take the reins to satisfy a customer’s need. Whether that involves picking up the phone and making a call or sending a handwritten note, reaching out and chatting one-on-one can make a difference. Over time, you will be seen as a hands-on leader, which people appreciate.

Always remember, without the customer, your business probably wouldn't exist. So although sometimes it may not be glamorous and it can get a bit hectic, doing your best to raise the bar in your customer service relations will only make your life (and theirs) easier in the long run. Customers take notice when they see a company doing everything they can to make them happy. Their reward to you is repeat business.

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